Climate change in Ukraine and the consistent increase in winter temperatures have led to a sharp increase in the life cycle of a number of pests. The Colorado potato beetle, silkworm and other species that previously died in winter are now successfully surviving the cold season and multiplying faster. This was stated in an interview with "Telegraph" by Dmytro Lyudvenko, a senior researcher at the National Research Center "Institute of Agrarian Economics", Doctor of Economic Sciences.
According to the Ukrhydrometeorological Center, the average winter temperature in Ukraine increased from –3°C in the 2000s to +2°C in 2023–2025. Such an anomaly not only expands the possibilities for growing heat-loving crops — in particular, cotton — but also significantly weakens the natural protection of crops from pests.
"Under such weather conditions, the risk of damage to the root system during sharp temperature fluctuations increases and the life cycle of pests increases - the Colorado potato beetle, silkworm, and others that do not die due to mild winters," noted Lyudvenko.
The problem is exacerbated by the reduction in soil moisture reserves, which is a result of prolonged periods of heat and unstable rainfall. In some regions, the situation is critical due to destroyed or inaccessible irrigation infrastructure.
According to Oleksandr Zakharchuk, Head of the Investment and Logistics Department of the National Scientific Center "Institute of Agrarian Economics", Corresponding Member of the NAAS, it is the combination of war and warming that has become especially destructive in southern Ukraine.
"A prime example is the Kherson, Zaporizhia, and Donetsk regions. The explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station, which destroyed irrigation on 0.6 million hectares, combined with sharp warming, led to a 30–50% yield loss on an area of 1.2 million hectares," the scientist emphasized.
Due to climate change, increased risks, and limited irrigation opportunities, Ukrainian farmers are increasingly choosing early-maturing and drought-resistant crop varieties. This trend is already noticeably affecting the crop structure in the central, southern, and partly eastern regions.
However, even new agricultural technologies cannot fully compensate for the impact of warm winters on the number of pests.
Last summer, farmers in the southern and central regions reported a sharp decline in the number of Colorado potato beetles. Yevgeny Khalaim, a junior researcher at the Tuzlivski Limany National Park, explained that this was a “one-time event” — a consequence of an abnormal drought.
In the north and west of the country, where the summer was wetter and cooler, the pest population did not change.
